Channing Crowder expects to hit market: “It’s their loss”

With less than a week to go before he hits free agency, linebacker Channing Crowder’s frustration continues to build.

Crowder expects his four-year stay with the Dolphins to end at midnight Thursday … and he’s sounding increasingly upset, even bitter.

Asked at charity softball game on Friday night about his future in South Florida, Crowder said he’s been told he’d become a free agent.

“I talked to (Bill) Parcells and (Jeff) Ireland about it and they said, ‘Well, we want to see what your market value is and see where it goes from there,'” Crowder said.

Crowder and his representation believes he’s worth more money than the Dolphins are willing to pay him.

Crowder has some selling points. He has good size (6-2, 250) and speed, turned 25 in December and had a career-high 114 tackles in 2008.

But he also doesn’t make many game-changing plays; he had no sacks, no interceptions and is considered to be shaky in pass coverage.

In the end, Crowder is hoping the Dolphins have a change of heart and decide to bring him back.

“I’m still holding out Dolphins hope,” he said. “I want to play football next year and I’m confident I can play in the NFL so I’ll play football next year and hopefully it’s with the Dolphins but if it’s with somebody else I can play football.

“They had the first crack at it and they dropped the ball so we’ll see what other teams do. It’s their loss.”